identify fragrant shrub

20 years ago

I've seen it do well in Dallas, Austin, Houston, and on the Texas coast--Zones 7-9, and wet thru dry.

I've seen it limbed up as a 12' 'tree' (on the coast), but it's usually part of a hedge (about 4' tall.)

It has thin leaves, about 1 1/2" long.

It's a medium green with grayish or brownish undersides to the leaves.

The flowers are tiny, and almost can't be identified as flowers. They are brownish, and look like little crosses, perpendicular to the stem. They are about 1/2" across.

The smell is hard to describe--definately not floral, but more sugar-y and at the same time evergreen-y.

It blooms early spring through early summer (but I can't tell you how long it blooms, since I only run into them in passing.) You smell them when it's wet, or if you brush up against them.

I don't know if this is the right forum to ask about this, but I don't know where else to ask.

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Comments (9)

cweathersby
20 years ago
You'd have to post a picture for me to recognize it. Sorry.
Is it evergreen?
silverkitty777
20 years ago
Maybe tea olive?????
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burntplants
Original Author
20 years ago
It's not tea olive.
I think it's evergreen.
I don't have a picture.
burntplants
Original Author
20 years ago
It's not onthe FAQ list of fragrant shrubs.

******For all intents and purposes, it has NO flowers--if you've seen flowers on something, it's not this!! (I had to look close and most people wouldn't recognise what I think are it's 'flowers' as flowers!!!)

I've seen it at restaurants and hotels--it can't be that hard to grow.
cweathersby
20 years ago
I think you are talking about eleagnus. Do a search of that and find a picture to see if I'm right. The thing that throws me is that they are starting to bloom now, and don't bloom for the rest of the year. It is used as a clipped hedge very often and also occasionally as a huge HUGE bush.
cweathersby
20 years ago
Oops, I misspelled it. Bet that would make the search harder!
Correct spelling is Elaeagnus ebbingii, or Elaeagnus pungens. Don't worry about which of the two kinds you get - even nurserymen can't tell them apart.
If this is in fact the plant you are talking about, you can grow it in full sun or in full shade, even though the tag reads full sun. I know this for a fact because that is where I planted mine, underneath a bunch of pine trees, as a screen between my house and my neighbors. They are growing and blooming just as well as some others that I planted in the sun.
Carrie
burntplants
Original Author
19 years ago
Myrica cerifera, "Southern Wax Myrtle"

It's NOT on the forum's list of fragrant plants.

It's a native to the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.
5-15' usually (up to 35' occasionally).
Catkin 'flowers' Feb-June, blue-grey berries Aug-Oct.
Tolerates salt, clay, sand, lime.
Full sun or shade.
Dry or humid heat (or cold--it's native up to NJ!)
Evergreen in the South.

And, of course, it's fragrant!
rian
19 years ago
This is bayberry, right? The wax taken from the berries is used to make fragrant candles.
bogturtle
19 years ago
M. cerifera is a kind of bayberry, but I have seen more berries on the local, more northern species. When we kept bees I made candles with the wax and beeswax combined. M. cerifera stays quite evergreen here in S. Jersey, but I have never seen flowers or berries after many years of having it on the property. I think it is in excessive shade and I keep it low by heavy, repeated pruning.